PART 3
"C'mon, Alex! You haven't moved from that spot for three hours." Alex merely sat in the corner of the room as Robyn looked over her angrily. "The last thing I want is you dying of rigormortus."
Alex scowled. "Isn't that for dead bodies?"
"This is my room, y'know, and you can't stay in here forever."
"Why not?"
"I don't know, but you just can't!"
Alex crossed her arms. "Can and will." Right now, Alex was having some inner turmoil. Just over three hours ago, she had exposed her powers to her parents, made her father collapse from a grief-induced heart attack, and attacked her sister out of anger. Now, she was in no mood to talk as her mind tried its hardest to decide on something.
"Look, you're upset. I understand that," Robyn said, "but this won't solve anything."
"And you want me to leave, is that it?" snapped Alex.
"Well, it'd be a start."
"Finr, I'm leaving! See?" Alex instantly morphed and shot out of the corner towards the window. "I don't need you nagging anyway!"
"Alex, I didn't mean it like that, but-" Alex oozed out the window. "Wait! Come back, Alex!" Looking out the window, Robyn saw that Alex was already out of sight. "ALEX?"
Elsewhere in Pittsville Gardens, at the police department, Grace Lasky was having problems of her own with an equally-stubborn prisoner. "Look, I'm being perfectly reasonable," Grace calmly spoke as she sat across from Garth in the empty room, a pair of guards standing in front of the only door leading out. "You're not making this any easier for yourself."
"I want my lawyer!"
"And what does THAT have to do with anything?"
"I dunno! I thought it was something you're supposed to say when you're being grilled."
"Just pay attention," she ordered. Garth merely looked back indignantly. "Now, according to George Mack's testimony, you were working for Vince Carter, a known military criminal with one of the most indicting records around. He's always been a slippery one for us to catch, and being able to link him to the Sedgewick break-in was nothing short of a lucky break. If you would just tell us something... anything pertaining to his involvement-"
"I'm tellin' ya, we weren't told anything," Garth snapped. "He only told us to keep everybody from seeing him. Nothing else."
"So, you didn't know anything?"
Garth stood up angrily, nearly making the guards jump in response. "Are you deaf? That's what I keep saying!"
"Whoa, hey, easy now," Grace calmly ordered. Swearing under his breath, Garth sat back down. "Look, you're in enough trouble as it is. Losing your temper is only going to make it worse. Now, please tell us anything you know about Vince's antics."
"I know nothing. Honest," Garth once more answered. "I'd gladly tell you if I knew, but that Vince guy only told Simon in detail. And I don't know where Simon is, either, so don't bother asking."
"Well, why were you in that storeroom?"
"The guy I had knocked out was starting to make a racket, so I had to quiet him down. Then some explosion goes off and I end up hiding in there with him."
"Riii-ight," Grace rolled her eyes. "I need a moment with the others. If there's anything you feel I need to know, don't hesitate to tell someone on my behalf." Garth was silent as Grace left the holding tank. An officer then approached her. "Anything from the others?" she asked.
"Not a peep. They're as much in the dark as he is." The officer shook his head. "What gets me, though, is how we found them. All of them were laying unconscious out in the halls. When questioned, they said something about a girl shooting sparks at them. Most likely one of their hostages got loose and had a taser."
"Or maybe she was that rumored third-party," Grace theorized.
"So far, none of them have provided a solid description," he continued. "The only consistent element among them all is that she was wearing a red hat."
Red hat? Not betraying her emotions, Grace nodded calmly. "Thank you, sir. Anyway, I'm going out for a coffee. Let me know if anybody starts singing." Saluting the officer, Grace left the station and walked to her car.
As she got in, Grace reached down under her seat and pulled out a manila folder. Inside was a large photo of Alex from an interview three years ago, as well as various notes and snippets of information collected on her. Flipping through the pages aimlessly, Grace rubbed her chin in thought.
What are you up to, Alex?
And over at the Pittsville Motel, one more Alex-related discussion was about to take place. As Annie Mack sat in her bed reading a college textbook, a loud knocking drew her attention towards the door. "Hold on, I'm coming." Pulling herself out of bed, Annie slipped on a robe and walked over to the door, wincing slightly as the bruises from earlier ached with each step. "Oh, hi Mom," she greeted as she saw Barbara Mack looking back at her, a worried expression on her face.
"Hello, Annie," Barbara greeted. "You haven't seen Alex by any chance, have you?"
"She was here a couple hours ago," Annie answered, "and I'm really not in the mood to discuss how she's feeling. That girl's dangerous when she's in a bad mood. Next thing I know, she'll be blowing her top like Sissy Spacek."
Barbara nodded, not quite getting the reference but understanding her daughter's tone. "Anyway, George has been checked into the hospital. His heart attack's mild, but he'll need some time to recover. I just wanted to let you know."
"Thanks," Annie replied, "and I'll call if I hear anything about Alex."
Barbara turned to walk away, but paused. "Actually..." she trailed off. "I was wondering... if I could stay with you tonight? I really don't want to be going home to an empty house."
Annie threw her hands up in exasperation. "What am I, a halfway house?" Barbara glared. "Fine. I'll just call the manager and tell him that I'm having company... again."
"Thanks." Barbara walked into the room and sat down on the bed. "Annie, you've known about Alex longer than me. What do you think she's doing right now?"
Annie sat down next to her mother and put a hand on her shoulder. "Knowing Alex, she's probably hiding somewhere feeling sorry for herself," she theorized. "She'll come around when she's ready."
Over in Pittsville Park, Alex was sitting in her private ditch, her arms crossed in a bitter gesture of anger. Specifically, anger at herself.
It was true that Alex had grown so accustomed to her powers in the past seven years. She never really thought of how truly dangerous she could be to others... until seven years of anger for feeling held back by Annie finally exploded in a metakinetic tantrum towards her. She was lucky she hadn't killed Annie in her rage, and after all the flaunting she had been doing to those punks recently, it was amazing that she hadn't killed them either. Alex doubted that she could ever live with a death on her conscience.
"Is this seat taken?"
Alex looked up to see Robyn. "How'd you find me?" she asked.
"I've come out here a few times myself," Robyn explained. "Pretty out-of-the-way, huh?"
Alex sighed. "Robyn," she began, "I'm sorry for snapping back there. It's just that you don't quite understand what I have to put up with." Alex looked away towards the sky. "At least you don't have to deal with overbearing sisters and crazy ex-security guards. You're just... normal."
"There's no such thing as normal, Alex." Robyn replied, much to Alex's surprise. "Normal's just a label that society stamps on people to placate the masses. At least, that's what Nicole called it."
"So, what else do I do about it?" Alex argued. "It's not like I can just take an antidote or something. Believe me, I tried it already."
"And you're complaining?" countered Robyn in a unusually-strong tone. "Y'know what I think? I think that maybe you were given these powers for a reason. That someone or something wanted you to be this person."
Alex snorted. "To be what? A mutated freak?"
"You're not a freak, Alex. You're just... you." Robyn sat down next to Alex. "But feeling sorry for yourself is not like you. I mean, you're brave, you're funny, you've got the looks and and the powers. Me, I'm a mental train wreck who freezes up under pressure. I couldn't even be there for you when you needed help the most."
Alex removed her hat and gazed into Robyn's eyes in curious awe. "Am I really that important to you?"
"I just want to be strong, like you," she explained, "which is why I can't stand seeing you mope like this. It makes you look more like... me."
For a while, both girls simply sat quietly in thought, doing nothing but look up at the stars. The rains had already passed, leaving not a cloud in the sky.
Eventually, Alex broke the silence and stood up. "I suppose I should head back and apologize to Annie." She turned to Robyn and helped her up to her feet. "Though she's not gonna let me off lightly, that much is certain. She's a very stubborn woman."
Robyn chuckled. "She'd have to be if she's your sister."
"Good point. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. And thanks." Alex walked off towards the entrance of the park. With a smile of private relief, Robyn began to leave for her own home... and nearly jumped when she heard a gunshot.
Seconds prior...
"Annie..." Alex began as she went over her planned explanation. "I'm sorry for attacking you, but... I really don't appreciate being treated like a kid." She shook her head. "No, that sounds too blunt." Undaunted, Alex tried again. "Annie, listen, whaddya say? Let's just let bygones be... Oh, now that's just lame. Honestly, who says bygones anymore?"
Alex was so intent on finding the right way to apologize that she didn't notice the laser sight flashing over her back. A second later, a sharp pain struck Alex and sent her collapsing to the ground. Instantly, she could feel an inexplicible fatigue coming over her. Alex tried to morph in hopes of getting away, but her mind was simply too hazy to respond.
Just before blacking out, Alex heard footsteps... and a voice. "Just relax, Mack," came the gravelly tone of Vince. "I don't want you dead... yet." Alex couldn't reply as she drifted off. Confident that she wasn't going anywhere, Vince tossed Alex over his shoulder and marched out of the park... unaware that someone had seen the whole thing.
Slowly creeping behind him, Robyn followed Vince to the park entrance, just in time to see him open up the back of his van. "Forgive the mess," he taunted as he swept aside some old papers and dumped Alex in the back. Vince closed up the van, got in, and drove away, leaving Robyn staring back fearfully.
As she stood there, a small piece of paper fluttered down towards her feet. Noticing it, Robyn picked it up and realized that it was a business card, most likely swept out of the van when Vince moved the papers. Her fearful gaze turned to determination. Just hang in there, Alex, she swore as she ran off. This time, I'm gonna earn my keep.
A low-toned humming sound. Flickering lights. Those were what Alex heard and saw, in that order, when she woke up. Her head, however, was in a haze. "What... just happened?" she absently muttered. "Where am I?"
Alex stepped forward, only to smack her face upon a clear surface. "Ouch!" she groaned as she rubbed her nose. Shaking her head clear, Alex examined her surroundings in better detail. As everything came into better focus, she saw that she was in some kind of dimly-lit storage room, and that she was trapped inside a quarantine tube, which she knew from prior experience as being airtight and completely shockproof. This is some serious Deja Vu, she told herself.
And over near what was the only door out of the room, a tough-looking man stood at attention, arms crossed. Alex recognized him clearly. "The tranquilizer has worn off," Vince announced. "She's awake and ready for you."
"Excellent, Vince. And just when I was starting to get impatient." Alex suddenly felt a cold chill go down her spine at hearing that voice. The last time she had heard it was three years ago, and she never forgot the wicked tone it brought forth with every syllable. "Hello, Alex. It's been a while since we've met like this. Surely you haven't forgotten about me, right?"
Turning to the source of the voice, Alex saw a large rolling chair to her side, its back facing her. At once, it spun forward to reveal the one woman Alex prayed she'd never have to cross paths with again. Short red hair and a tan business suit, her image was unmistakable. "Danielle Atron," Alex spat with contempt.
Atron smiled. "Of course," she replied. "Don't look so surprised. You didn't honestly think I was out of your life forever, did you?"
"I figured you'd be too busy feeding your fishes to notice."
Atron briefly growled in anger, then collected her composure. "I'm enjoying this, you know," she said, changing the subject, "I find it very nostalgic. I hope you're enjoying it, too. After all, I picked it out especially for you."
"Why? What for?"
"So we could talk, of course," Atron continued. "Given the circumstances of before, we never truly got to know each other, and I imagine you have a few pressing questions nagging on your mind, right? Well, go ahead, Alex. Ask me anything you like."
"Alright, I'll start with the obvious one." Alex leaned back on the plexiglass cage and crossed her arms. "Why aren't you spending life in prison?"
Atron chuckled. "Still not too sharp, are you? If you recall, thanks to PV-Chem going up in flames, there wasn't enough evidence to put me away forever."
"Well, what about the charges?" Alex pressed on. "Faking reports and bribing voters was pretty serious. Not to mention what you had done to that one guy. You know he's in therapy because of you drugging him?"
"True, but the parole board was quite sympathetic, especially after Vince gave them a little... heads-up on my behalf," the ex-CEO boasted. "You see, he runs a security firm, or at least he did since PV-Chem, and part of his job is collecting information on others. You'd be amazed as to what people will do to have their deepest secrets protected..."
"So, you're saying that you had Vince blackmail the parole board, right?"
"I prefer to think of it as helping people make good decisions, but yes," Atron replied. "After my time behind bars, I got in contact with Vince and forgave him for his past mistakes, then offered my services in building up his security firm. Together, we turned Off-The-Record Security from a struggling home business into a profitable money-making operation. It was all on the level, and the profit was quite handsome."
Alex snorted in disbelief. "So then why am I here? I figured I'd be the last person you ever wanted to see again."
"After I caught wind of you sneaking about Sedgewick yesterday, I realized that I would be digging my own proverbial grave if I didn't stop you before you started getting too involved. And after all the past trouble you've caused me, I wasn't going to take any chances," Atron answered. "Personally, I had hoped you would've turned yourself in a long time ago. We could've made quite the team. Between your powers and my brilliance, the whole world would've been at our fingertips." For a moment, there was a slight twinge of pride in her voice. "Instead, you humiliated me in front of my plant and my city. Any forgiveness I had for you died when PV-Chem blew up."
"You blame me for that? If I recall, you're the one who set the bombs, not me."
"Well, you're the one who drove me to do it!"
"Well, you're the one who tried to pull the corporate crime of the century." Alex crossed her arms. "Seriously, how far back do we have to keep second-guessing ourselves? Do you want a list?"
Atron looked furious. "How dare you!" she shouted in rage. "I am Danielle Atron, the world's greatest genius, and I will not be upstaged by some... teenage... mutated... brat!"
"If you're so smart, then why am I still alive?" Alex shot back.
Atron looked bored. "Anything else?"
"Just one more." Alex took a deep breath and said a single word. "Why?"
"Why?" Atron laughed loudly, making Alex's skin crawl as the woman found humor in the question. "Life is short. If I wanted, I could've chosen to live my life with the ignorant masses, wallowing in self-pity. Instead, I chose to rise above them." Atron stood up. "There are three ideals I hold in highest regard... wealth, power, and reputation. Those who try and deny me any of those pay dearly. However, those who respect and support my ideals will find that I can be a very generous individual."
"That's only what you think of yourself as," Alex argued. "You're still the same vain, greedy woman with no respect for anything but your own ego."
"And you're still the same ungrateful little mutant with no imagination." Atron walked out of the room. As the door closed behind her, Alex was left alone with Vince in the dark room, the area barely illuminated by a few small lamps.
After a few seconds, Alex turned to Vince. "And what about you? Why are you still working for this slimeball after all the abuse she's put you through?"
"Out of respect," Vince answered. "I do her dirty work in secret, and she keeps the Feds off my back. Fired or no, I protect her with my life because I owe it to her."
"I had to ask." Alex shrugged.
"I've got a lot to make up for as it is thanks to you, so why don't you get comfy in that tube?" he taunted. "When Miss Atron gets back, she'll have a little surprise for you. Until then, you've got me to deal with, so don't even try sweet-talking your way out of this." Laughing to himself, Vince leaned back on the wall, watching Alex with an arrogant smirk.
With no visible way out of her situation, Alex slumped to the floor of the tube and buried her head in her arms. She thought about how much trouble she had gotten herself into since two nights ago, and all because she had to help a friend escape danger. Now, just like Annie warned, her actions were coming back to bite her in the rear, and she only had herself to blame.
In regards to the friend in question, Robyn was at the police station pleading her case. "I'm telling you the truth, officer," she protested to the police officer at the desk. "I saw my friend get kidnapped, and I've got something that'll help find her!"
"Look, Miss... Russo, was it?" The officer gave a sympathetic smile, but it was clear on his face that he was tired and overworked. "I know you're worried, but we've been so busy with the Sedgewick case that we can't spare a man right now."
"Is this the way you treat your taxpayers?" argued Robyn. "Listen, my friend is in danger! Alex is getting tortured and you're not doing anything!"
"You have to understand that we've got our hands full."
Grace suddenly came into the station. "What's going on?"
"This girl came in and started talking about her friend being kidnapped," the officer explained. "I told her that we're busy as it is."
"I'll handle this." Shooing the man away, Grace turned to face Robyn, "So, what seems to be the problem, Miss...?"
"Uhh... Robyn Russo." Robyn looked at Grace intently. "Have we met? You look like someone I met in high school once."
"I... uh... get that a lot," Grace lied. "Anyway, I'm with the FBI. What's this about your friend being kidnapped?"
"It... It's Alex," Robyn nervously replied. "She was just walking through the park when... someone shot her and she fell over. Then he took her away in his car and-"
Grace was now worried. "And... he didn't notice you?"
"I was hiding!"
"What did he look like?"
"It was dark, but he had crew-cut blonde hair and... and..." Robyn shook her head.
"Well, I don't know what else I can do if I don't have something definitive."
"He also dropped this." Robyn pulled out the business card and showed it to Grace. Sure enough, it was for Off-The-Record Security. "There's no address, but I thought maybe you'd be able to... well..."
"I think this will work." Grace smiled, appreciative as to finally getting a lead on the case. "Can you come with me, please?"
Robyn nodded as Grace led her to a small room, where some old devices sat on shelves. Grace stopped at one such device and took it out. "What's that?" Robyn asked.
"A phone tracer," Grace explained. "Basically, it'll tell us where her kidnapper is hiding, assuming he stays on the line for a full minute." As Grace set up the device, she glared towards Robyn with a serious expression. "Listen, I'm going to need to ask you to help on this. I need you to talk to talk to whoever the kidnapper is and do everything possible to keep him from hanging up."
"Why me? You're the agent."
"Just do it, okay?" Grace pleaded. "Please? For your friend's sake?" Fixing a few wires, Grace sat down and handed Robyn a phone.
"I suppose it's a felony to disobey an agent of the FBI anyway." Holding back her nerves for the time being, Robyn took the phone and dialed the number. After a few rings, someone picked up. "Hello, may I speak to the owner of Off-The-Record Security?" she asked as Grace activated the tracer.
Back with Alex...
Okay, let's review. I'm alone in a quarantine tube, held by a woman who hates my guts, and I can't break the plexiglass. Vince is watching me like a hawk, and no one even knows I'm here, so we can rule out all possibilities of a rescue. Alex sat down and racked her brain for an idea. Think, Alex!
As Alex glanced around, she saw a small console with several buttons on it, one of them marked 'Release'. And there, at its base, was a small cardboard box. Bingo! Alex exclaimed, but then frowned. But I can't do it while Vince is playing watchdog.
"Vince!" Atron called out from what sounded like downstairs. "Telephone!" Growling a curse, Vince left the room, leaving Alex alone.
Whoa! Talk about a lucky break! Alex reached out with her mind and tried to pick up the box, hoping that she could drop it on the console and hit the button. However, as she telekinetically latched onto the box, she realized that her plan had an unexpected snag. Ngggh... Can't move it... she grunted as the box barely wobbled. C'mon, Alex! You once lifted a concrete pipe, for cripes' sake, and that was over five years ago. Surely you can handle this. But as Alex tried again, she realized that something was adhering the box to the ground and thus was making it impossible to budge.
Slumping back down, Alex groaned and kicked the glass out of anger. As she did so, though, she noticed something odd at the foot of the tube. It was a small thin crack in the reinforced glass. Alex perked up. If I can chip that open a bit, I might be able to ooze out of here, she realized. Alex began kicking furiously at the glass, trying her hardest to make even the smallest of openings.
After a few kicks, she managed to chisel open a small hole, about the width of the side of a quarter. With no time to keep at it, Alex morphed and pooled herself towards the teeny-tiny gap and tried to flow through it. However, it was too tight and Alex was simply too dense. C'mon, Alex! Focus! Alex spread her liquid mass outward, trying to make herself as inhumanely thin as possible. She was groaning in discomfort as she could feel the faintest bit of her liquid state seeping out of the crack and to the other side. Slowly, Alex brought more and more of her mass through the crack.
"So, would you say that Ruinator VI is better or worse than Supercop IV?" Robyn asked in as confident a voice she could manage. Having made some business calls for her father at the funeral parlor back in Paradise Valley, Robyn had some experience in calling for information, and she had been stalling Vince for over a half-minute posing as a phone-survey attendant.
"About even," came Vince's uncaring response. "Listen, as much as I like those films, I've got work to do."
Grace testily checked her watch. "Just twenty more seconds, Robyn," she whispered
"Please don't go!" Robyn pleaded, almost desperately. "I mean, your opinion is... um... very important and we... uh... need a valid answer before we can... process... the results."
She could hear Vince's exasperated moaning on the other end. "Alright, fine! I give them both a five," he snapped.
"Five out of five, or five out of ten?"
"I don't care! Can I hang up now?"
Grace nodded, signaling that the trace had completed. "Yes, sir. Thank you for your time." Vince slammed the phone off on his end. "Well, did you find him?" Robyn asked.
"He's not in Pittsville, but about two miles outside the city line. It's actually not far from here," she explained. "Anyway, I thank you for your help, but now I think you should leave things to the adults."
"Wait!" Robyn grabbed Grace's arm. "I'm coming with you."
"It might get dangerous."
"I don't care! Alex is my friend, and I'm not gonna let her down a second time."
As those words crossed Grace's mind, she thought about her own promise to Alex. Thus, she sighed and forced a smile. "Okay, but stay in the car." Their goals set, the two ladies left for Grace's car.
Alex groaned again. She had squeezed enough of herself out to the point where just over half of her liquified mass was leaking out the side. Just then, she heard clomping of shoes. Vince! she realized. No time to ooze out. I gotta escape now!
'Looking' out through her hand, Alex focused herself into doing something she hadn't really tried before. The metallic liquid of her body began to stretch outward into a long limb, then slowly formed a crude hand at the end, complete with fingers. I can do this, I can do this... she repeatedly chanted as she stretched her liquid arm towards the cardboard box at the foot of the console. Willing her arm to grab the box, Alex liquified it into herself, and was delighted to feel the added mass flowing into her being. Alex stretched her arm out the last half-foot needed to pound the release button hard. At once, the plexiglass tube hissed as it rose up and allowed Alex freedom.
Whooping in victory, Alex gathered her liquified form back into the puddle and reformed, allowing her to stand once more as a human 19-year-old girl... holding a cardboard box. She then looked at the bottom of the box. Sure enough, there were traces of super-glue around the edges. No wonder I couldn't lift it, she realized. Looking at where the box originally sat, Alex saw the reason why. It had been covering the wiring that ran from the console into the floor, where they were connected to the quarantine tube's base.
Seeing the hole in the floor gave Alex an idea, and none too soon. Vince was already in earshot.
"How the hell do those telemarketers do it?" Vince groused. "My number's unlisted, so there should be no way they can-" Vince stopped short as he looked into the storage room. More specifically, the now-empty quarantine tube. "Aw, no!" Fumbling for his phone, Vince was unaware of the shadow oozing out of the hole and towards his leg. "Miss Atron? Miss Atron? Pick up! That brat just- OOMPH!" The silvery mass suddenly latched onto Vince and began wrapping itself around him. Before he even knew what was going on, a sudden electric shock coursed through Vince, knocking him out.
Alex reformed and looked over her handiwork. With Vince out cold but unharmed, most of her hassles in escaping were gone. "Vince, are you there?" Atron barked fron the other end. "Vince? Vince?" But Alex was already running downstairs.
She was just coming down the steps when Alex jerked her head up and glanced to her side, just in time to see a stream of electricity approaching her. With reflexes possible only for a superhuman like her, Alex dropped to the floor and rolled off to the side, evading the blast cleanly as it struck the wall.
Catching her breath, Alex looked towards the wall, now charred black. Alex then saw something that made her throat run dry: Danielle Atron standing at the far end of the hall, holding a large, high-tech rifle of some sort.
"You're a lot more resourceful than I thought, mutant," Atron said with a sneer, "but you didn't really think I was going to fight someone like you without an ace up my sleeve, did you?" Holding up the weapon, Atron squeezed the trigger and fired another bolt of electricity. Alex was barely able to register the attack in time to morph down to the floor and reform out of the way. "This is something Vince had been working on for some time. It's an electron rifle, perfect for deep-frying pests who just don't take a hint."
Atron fired off two more lightning bolts. Alex rolled out of the way of both, but she slowed down too soon and was struck right in the chest with a third shot, halting her evasive techniques with an agonizing groan of pain. Atron rubbed her chin. "Hmmm... agile AND resilient. Apparently, it's gonna take more than a single shot to roast you," she observed. "Not to worry. This baby's good for 300 yards, and I've been practicing my aim for a year."
"I've practiced mine for seven!" Alex snapped as she raised her palm and blasted a powerful zap. It missed Atron as she dove to the floor, making the bolt hit a ceiling fixture and causing it to burst into sparks. With the room darkened and Atron stalled, Alex took advantage of the distraction to run back upstairs, leaving an irate Danielle Atron following.
Meanwhile...
"Well, this is where the trace leads," Grace explained as she and Robyn looked at the modest two-story house from the car. Strange flashes of light could be seen through the windows. "Odd. Must be having electrical problems."
"Uh... yeah," Robyn agreed. "Electrical problems." Right now, she was so worried about Alex that she couldn't even find a worst-case scenario to the situation. If anything, Alex is already in it, she feared.
Grace reached into her purse and pulled out her badge and a gun. "Stay here, okay?" she ordered. "I'm going in."
As Atron marched into the holding room, she noted the empty quarantine tube and scowled when she saw Vince on the ground, still unconscious. Ignoring him for the time being, Atron warmed up another shot. "Alright, Alex. Come on out," she called out. "There's nowhere else to run. This room has no convenient window or air vent for you to ooze through. I personally made sure of that when I had the tube installed."
She's got a point, Alex realized as she took cover behind a desk. The only way out is through that door.
"To think you're so young and powerful, and yet you're always hiding like a worm," Atron taunted as she strode through the room. "Chappy had a good thing going when he stumbled upon GC-161. It's a shame he never capitalized on it."
"Chappy?" Alex recognized the name. There was only one person she knew of who went by that nickname. "You mean Dr. Vernell, don't you?"
Atron suddenly raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that name?" she asked.
"I met him once, years ago," Alex explained. "Last I heard, he had fled the country, but that's besides the point. He must've known what kind of a creep you were if he had to go into hiding to keep your mitts off GC-161."
"What are you talking about?"
"He said he created GC-161 at PV-Chem in 1978, and you wouldn't listen to his warnings."
"PV-Chem didn't even exist in '78. I was interning at another plant back then."
Alex now seemed confused. "But then how would you have known about Vernell's work?" she prodded on. Between what Chappy told her and Atron's words, something wasn't adding up.
Atron paused in thought for a moment, as if recalling an old memory, then sneered. "None of your business! Now show yourself."
Seeing that Atron was staring forward intently, Alex decided to gun it for the door. She silently crept around the room's perimeter, using whatever cover she could to stay out of sight. However, she was barely three feet away from the door when she tripped on a small pile of crates, kicking up loud noise.
"Gotcha!" Atron turned and fired, catching Alex in the leg. Though not a direct hit, it sent her falling helplessly to the floor. The evil woman strode over to Alex and pinned her down with her foot. "I'll give you some credit for the ingenuity and for evading me as long as you did, but you know what I've noticed about you?" she taunted as she stood over Alex, her weapon charging for the last shot she would ever need. "It's that you're always in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Alex grimaced. "Yep, that about sums up my life," she replied quietly. The end in sight, Alex closed her eyes and silently prayed. Before Atron could fire, a gunshot sounded from behind her. "What the-?"
Turning around, Atron saw Grace standing there, holding her handgun at the CEO. "Put your hands over your head!" she shouted. "On the next shot, I will hit you. Hands over your head, NOW!"
Alex barely managed to respond. "No, get out of here!" she called out, but Atron had already turned around to aim at Grace instead. Can't... let her... hurt Grace! Alex strained herself to morph and ball up in what was to be her one chance to save both their lives. Furious-looking sparks began to crackle and course around Alex's morphed ball as she focused all her power into making herself as solid and electrified as possible. The silver ball that was Alex then shot forward and slammed square into Atron's back, sending her to the floor in a roar of pain.
Alex turned her attention to Grace. "Sorry about this!" Alex pooled outward into her puddle-form and quickly began to absorb Grace into her silvery mass. The FBI agent seemed as if she was about to panic, but her expression quickly melted into silver liquid. "I'll do all the driving, so hang on."
"Wha... buh... help!" Grace stammered as Alex guided their combined mass out of the room, through the halls of the house, and out a window. As they hit the sidewalk, Alex reformed them both and Grace immediately ran for the car. Alex followed, and soon they and Robyn were escaping into the night.
Growling, Atron pushed herself to her feet as Vince barged in. "Miss Atron! Alex escaped!" he shouted. He then noticed the damage throughout the room. "Uh... is this a bad time?"
Atron's only response was a painful punch to Vince's face.
Safely away from Atron's fury, Grace's car barreled down the street. "Unfortunately, with no evidence, I can't get any search warrants," she explained, "but at least you're out of danger."
Alex, however, was far from grateful. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"I... I had to get help," Robyn cut in. "I wasn't sure where else to go, so I went to the police station. They were too busy, but then she came out and... well... I told her about you. Not about the... y'know, but-"
"It's a little late for that now," Alex grunted. "Now comes the part where she's telling her FBI friends to prepare the dissection table, right?"
"Alex, I would never do that to you."
"That's not how I remember it, Grace!"
Grace? Robyn's eyes suddenly lit up. "Now I remember! You're that Junior from High School, the one Alex was so pally-pally with!"
"Not anymore," explained Alex. "She tried to sell me out to Vince. Needless to say, the relationship soured after that."
"I told you before that I was sorry," came Grace's defense.
"You can stuff your sorries in a sack, traitor." Alex crossed her arms angrily. "Just get me home."
The rest of the ride was silent. Eventually, the car pulled up to Alex's house and she and Robyn stepped out. "Thank you, Miss Lasky," Robyn politely replied. Alex said nothing, but was courteous enough to give Grace a wave.
Grace bit her lip in shame. She disliked feeling hated, but there was nothing she could do about it. All I can do is what I can, she told herself. And maybe someday, she'll drop the anger and trust me again. One can only hope... Holding her head high, Grace drove off.
As the two girls approached the front door, Robyn spoke up. "Alex," she quietly piped in, "you're not mad at... me, are you?"
"You? Nahhh." Alex smiled. "I'm grateful for you, at least. You're proof that there are some trustworthy people in this world."
"Yeah..." Robyn trailed off.
"I know, I know. Her." Alex sighed as she telekinetically unlocked the door from outside. "I suppose I should be grateful to her, too."
"Maybe you should give her another chance, at least."
"I'll think about it." Alex opened the door and stepped inside. "Mom? Annie?" she called out to no reply. "Anyone here?"
"Doesn't look it, Alex," Robyn said as she noticed a note on the lampstand. Alex took it and read it off.
Alex,
If you see this, then I'm with Annie. I should be back by morning. I'm not mad at you, but I really think we need to have a long talk about this secret world you live in.
Mom
"Well, looks like we've got the house to ourselves," Alex replied. "But right now, I just wanna sleep. You can crash here, 'kay?"
Robyn yawned. "The way I'm feeling, I could sleep for a week." Alex had no objection as she went upstairs to her room. Robyn simply settled for crashing on the couch. Within five minutes, they were both asleep.
Back in her office, Atron sat silently in her chair, growling and swearing profusely as her electron rifle sat on the desk. Across from her stood Vince, who was nursing a bruised cheek. "Lousy mutant. Goes and makes me..." she aimlessly muttered. "Should've shot her when I had the chance years ago."
And you complain when I hesitate, Vince thought, though he wisely kept his mouth shut, especially with Atron in reach of that weapon.
"Thinks that just because she can zap a few bolts, she can act like she owns me? Well, I can't let this interfere." Atron looked up towards Vince. "Vince, get your little black book. It's time to make a few calls," she ordered. "First and formost, we need to get any incriminating evidence out of this place. Second, we need to lure Alex back to our hands. Every moment she stays loose is a threat to my long-term strategem."
"Consider the first part done," Vince replied. "As to the second, I think I can manage something very persuasive."
The next morning...
As the sun shone once more over Pittsville Gardens, Annie and Barbara sat on the bed watching TV. The two women had ordered out for some breakfast while they discussed various topics, though the main one was obvious. "And you seriously thought that keeping this from me and George was the best way to go?" she asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"We were young, we were fearful," Annie explained with a shrug. "Figured less was more. You should know all this by now."
"I do, but I never seem to accept it." Barbara sighed. "Look, Annie, I know you were trying to protect Alex and I respect that, but I think you need to learn to have more faith in people."
"Faith?" Annie scoffed. "Mom, faith is just a nontangible excuse for people to care about something without even knowing why. It's non-factual, non-scientific, and non-existent."
"So, what you're saying is, you don't trust anybody?" Barbara asked, surprised at her daughter's atheistic response. "Not even your own parents?"
"I trust you both," Annie replied, "just not with hair-trigger topics like Alex's powers."
Barbara shook her head. "Annie, let me tell you about what had happened yesterday. There I was, tied down with the other hostages. I was scared, cold, and I wondered if I was going to die. If it wasn't for Alex... I wouldn't be here, and I doubt your father would be, either."
"She didn't have to risk her life like she did."
"But she chose to anyway," Barbara continued. "It made me remember that night at PV-Chem. And on both that day and yesterday, after my initial shock wore off, I realized that I had raised a strong, brave daughter, and that I was proud of her."
Annie looked at her mother skeptically. "What are you getting at?"
"Never mind." Barbara turned away as she turned on the TV. "You're almost as bad as your father sometimes."
Back at the house, Alex and Robyn were discussing matters of their own over some cereal and milk. "So, Atron's back, huh?" Robyn asked.
"Yeah, and she seems worse than I remember. The fact that she's got Vince and all that high-tech stuff at her disposal only makes me more nervous." Alex sighed. "If it wasn't for Grace..."
"You really should cut her some slack, you know," Robyn pointed out. "She was just as much duped as you were, especially where money was involved."
"I guess..."
"Alex, you've got that look on your face." Robyn uneasily spoke. "That look that says that you're thinking of something very crazy."
"I've been thinking about last night and what happened," Alex began, "and knowing Atron, she'll hunt me down to no end. If someone can't put her in prison, I'll never get a moment's rest."
"So, what can you do about it?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Eight minutes and fifty-seven seconds later...
"Are you sure you really want to do this, Alex?" Robyn asked from outside the room. "I mean, what does the outfit have to do with it?"
"In a nutshell, I intend to show Atron that I'm no longer the scared little kid from Paradise Valley, and it's hard to be taken seriously when you're wearing flannel." Robyn shrugged at Alex's unique logic. "So tell me what you think."
Alex stepped out of the room, giving Robyn a full view of her new outfit. Alex had picked out a pair of dark-toned blue jeans and a gray t-shirt, which she wore a denim blue jacket over. Her red hat, as always, sat backwards upon her head, and a pair of comfortable white sneakers completed her ensemble.
Robyn was impressed. Alex no longer looked like a 19-year-old college student to her, but rather someone more incredible. "You look... so amazing."
"Thanks, but I still say it's missing something." Alex looked at herself in the mirror.
Robyn studied Alex intently. "I think what you need is something that says 'This is me' to everybody," she answered.
"Maybe." Alex shrugged. "We can worry about fashion tips later. Right now, it's time for me to go."
"Go where?"
"Back to Atron's house," Alex replied as she put her hat's brim forward, a sure sign that she was serious. "Because after all the trouble she's caused, I think it's time someone repays the favor."
END OF PART 3
